l8o COUNTRY ESSAYS. 



may be studied by means of a binocular, and how many inno- 

 cent and beautiful lives might thus be annually saved to 

 brighten the face of the country. No true ornithologist will 

 use the gun save in extreme cases. 



One of the most tantalising accidents which can happen to an 

 ornithologist is when a rare bird is eaten by its captor through 

 ignorance of its value. Oftentimes this must occur in out-of- 

 the-way districts where all wild-fowl shot during winter are 

 indiscriminately called ducks, and at once consigned to the 

 cook. We lately heard of a case in point. The governor of 

 one of England's smaller dependencies invited his secretary, 

 an ardent ornithologist, to dinner. After the game had 

 been discussed, the latter casually asked a few questions 

 on the birds he had just eaten, and was told by the 

 governor that he did not know what they were, but some 

 of their feathers had been preserved. The poor secretary 

 was broken-hearted on inspecting these. He had actually 

 helped to eat three of Pallas's sand grouse, for which he would 

 willingly have given half his substance in order to add them to 

 his collection. The fate of rare birds is at times even more 

 sad than this. Dwellers in the midland counties must often 

 have listened with pleasure during the short nights of June to 

 the monotonous croaking of the landrail from the uncut hay 

 beyond the garden. This bird is very local, and is shot as a 

 dainty morsel whenever it is seen. Luckily, like Wordsworth's 

 cuckoo, it has the nature more of " a wandering voice " than a 

 bird, and for the most part easily escapes its pursuers when it 

 is heard in an unusual locality. The only nightingale which 

 we have ever known to appear in Devon was not so fortunate. 

 It was seen during summer 1860 in the neighbourhood of Ex- 

 mouth, but was pelted to death by the idle boys of the vicinity, 

 much as the Bacchantes of old tore Orpheus to pieces. To 

 know the common birds of a district and to become familiar 

 with their migrations, changes of plumage, the reasons of their 



